Sky High: Teens In Tights
by LilPotterfanfic
Summary: You remember the super villain school Royal Pain wanted to start? Yeah, turns out somebody else already thought of that... and it exists. How will our favorite underdogs face such a huge threat? Fortunately for them, they won't have to. No. This time around, we will. My name is Mellie Quick, and this is the story of my freshman year at Sky High. Let the adventure begin.
1. Chapter 1

**Sky High: Teens In Tights**  
**Chapter 1: My Breakfast Becomes a Weapon of Mass Destruction**

The simple fact that Robin and I were working together without trying to kill each other was all the proof I needed that I was dreaming.

Fighting off an army of goons when I hadn't even gone to Sky High yet also kinda contributed to my being aware of my own unconsciousness.

"Mellie!" Robin yelled at me, clambering on top of a huge, leaning tower of crates. "Toss me my bow!"

I raised an eyebrow at that. Real-life Robin couldn't shoot to save his life. "Get it yourself," I replied with a smirk. I crossed my arms and watched, tempted to laugh, as Robin fought off the bad guys like a professional super hero. He looked like such a dork in his tights and underwear.

"Enjoying yourself?" an amused voice rumbled in my ear.

When I turned around, no one was there. And then I blinked.

The speaker was a boy who liked like he might be my age, but probably a bit older. He was tall, with tan skin and wavy, white blond hair. He wore a dark navy body suit with purple accents and a hood; a purple mask hid his eyes, and both of his hands were encased in obsidian black gauntlets.

"Robin," I called out in a bored voice to my dream-brother. "I found the villain we're fighting."

Blondie chuckled darkly. Why did that sound so attractive? I looked around and saw that the abandoned warehouse we were standing in was completely empty. Great, I was alone with the villain.

"Nice to finally meet you, Cammie," Blondie muttered, looking me up and down. "I've heard a lot about you."

Something told me this wasn't your average dream. I opened my mouth to say something- what? I still don't know- when an annoying beeping sound struck up from above our heads.

"Ah, that's my cue," Blondie said with an attractive- so, very attractive- grin. "See ya' soon, Cammie."

* * *

And with that, the beeping sound pulled me out of my dream and into the real world.

I sat in my bed for a few seconds, not touching my alarm clock, and by the time I finally turned the stupid thing off I had forgotten my dream almost completely.

Almost.

"Mellie!" my mom called from downstairs. "Are you up yet?"

"Yeah- I'll be down in a minute," I yelled back. And with that, I got up.

Did I want to try? I asked myself. I already knew the answer. I _always_ ended up trying. Even if 'trying' for me ended up being brushing my hair and wearing clothes that weren't wrinkled.

Apparently 'trying' that morning meant pulling my hair up, throwing on a navy t-shirt, shorts, and my trusty dusty Converse. "To hoodie or not to hoodie," I muttered, staring in my closet. "That is the question."

"Mellie!" Mom's voice shouted.

"Not to hoodie," I decided, grabbed my backpack, and bounded down the stairs.

"Finally," Robin groaned, putting down his slice of toast and glaring at me. "I was getting _so _sick of all the screaming."

I raised an eyebrow at him, dumping my book bag and sliding into a chair. "It wasn't screaming, it was shouting. And it was only two times," I pointed out.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Catch." He lobbed an apple at my head. I reached up a hand and caught it, sticking out my tongue.

"Ew," I groaned, setting it down on the table. "I hate apples."

Mom let out a harsh puff of air. "Will you two ever grow up?" she asked exasperatedly.

Let me tell you something about my mother. Her name is Ethelyn Quick- or at least that's what normal citizens think. By day she's a zoologist and soccer mom, but whenever there's a cry for help, she becomes Nightshatter, faithful sidekick to The Sharpshooter.

"Why is that apple ticking?" Dad asked, waltzing into the kitchen.

I looked down at said disgusting fruit and frowned. Now that he mentioned it...

"Hit the deck!" Mom screamed. Robin tackled me out of my chair and we tumbled into the counter. Dad shoved Mom out of the way, grabbed the apple, and lobbed it out the window. It exploded before it touched the front yard.

"Mother f-" Robin gasped.

"Robin!" Mom snapped, as Dad helped her to her feet. "Quarter. In. The. Swearing. Jar."

"But I didn't actually say it!" Robin protested.

Mom pointed an imperious finger at the halfway-full jar on the counter. "No buts! Quarter!"

Grumbling under his breath, he fished some change out of his back pocket and dropped it in.

"Seriously Dad?" I groaned, re-tying my ponytail. "Did you stop for groceries in costume, again?"

He flushed and looked away. "No." Which really meant that yes, he had.

Mom sighed and cast a despairing look at the pantry. "Great," she moaned, "now I have to check everything for explosives." She gasped suddenly and looked down at her watch. "Kids! School!"

I nodded and grabbed my bag. "Bye, see you later!" I called over my shoulder, attempting to rush out before they could stop me.

"Don't worry," Dad yelled from the kitchen. "We still love you even if you are a sidekick- besides, you could always be Robin's Hero Support!"

"Yeah," I muttered, walking out the front door. "Because it's every teenage girl's dream is to take orders from her younger brother for the rest of her life."

I mean, why were they so sure Robin was going to be a hero and I wasn't, anyways? Neither of us had displayed any incredible powers. Maybe we'd both end up as sidekicks.

* * *

The sky was a bright blue, not a single cloud to be seen, and I immediately wished I had worn a different shirt when I felt the sun beam down on me. I reached the sidewalk just in time to see the bus come rumbling around the corner. There was a panting sound from behind me and Robin appeared at my side.

"Don't say it," he warned, seeing my smirk. I chuckled and turned my eyes back to the road. The bus pulled to a stop in front of us and its doors opened with a swish. With a slightly nervous look at each other, we hopped on.

They were staring at us.

Robin froze on the first step, watching the other kids with wide eyes. I let out an exasperated sigh.

"C'mon you weirdo," I muttered. "Let's go."

"I'm Ron Wilson," the driver greeted us, grinning, "bus driver. Names, please?"

"Mellie and Robin Quick," I answered, pointing a finger at my brother.

Ron nodded. "Alright, you're on the list," he told us. "Take a seat."

So we did. Robin and I ended up on separate sides of the bus- not that I was complaining or anything- because, apparently, we were the third to last stop. I ended up next to a tall, stark white-haired guy with bright, Sharpie yellow clothes, and Robin was somewhere behind me.

"Hey," the guy said, grinning. "I'm Zach Braun, but you can call me"- he pumped a fist in the air suddenly- "Zach Attack!"

"Uh huh," I said drily. "Uh... I'm Camilla Quick, but don't call me that."

"So... Can I call you Cam?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I prefer Mellie, but sure, if you want."

The bus screeched to a stop and I slammed into the back of the seat in front of ours. Zach stood, and called, "Yo! Will, my man!"

My eyes bugged out of my head. Did he mean _the _Will Stronghold?

Apparently he did, because the boy who got on the bus might as well have been a celebrity with the way everyone was staring at him.

"Hey Zach," the guy who was apparently Will Stronghold said, taking the empty seat beside ours. The red-head who had come on with him took the aisle seat.

I couldn't really see how this guy could be Will Stronghold. He looked like... Well, he looked like a total dork. But then again, what do I know? If what I'd heard was true, this was the guy who managed to face down a- admittedly not one of the most feared- super villain within the first two months of his freshman year. This was the guy who was apparently the real-life Superman.

Will, Zach, and the red haired girl- who was apparently Layla, Will's girlfriend- spent the next few minutes talking about people I didn't know and things I didn't really care about. It was only when Ron Wilson, bus driver, slammed on the brakes so hard I smacked into my seat again that I was pulled out of la-la land.

"Alright kids," he called back to us, switching out his bright orange baseball cap. "Next stop, Sky High."

"Here we go!" Zach whooped, rubbing his hands together.

"Wha-" I started to say, but seat belts flew out from nowhere, wrapping around my chest and waist and cutting off my question.

The bus made a U-turn and started down a blocked off road. One I had never seen before.

"What's going on?" I squeaked, looking out the window frantically. "Where are we?"

Zach laughed and leaned back in his seat. "Chill freshie," he told me. "You'll see."

And with that, the bus sailed off the end of a bridge and into the sky.

I screamed with the rest of the freshmen as we plummeted, only for Ron Wilson, bus driver, to jerk up the steering wheel at the last second. The screaming stopped as we evened out and soared through the clouds. I panted, trying to catch my breath, and glared at Zach as he laughed hysterically.

"That was hilarious!" he wheezed, as the school came into view.

"Sky High," Ron Wilson, bus driver, announced from the front seat. "Welcome to the first four years of the rest of your life. For most of you, it will be the best. But for some? The worst."

On that happy note, the bus landed and we stepped out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sky High: Teens In Tights**  
**Chapter 2: My Gym Teacher Drops A Car On My Head**

Sky High?

One word: OhmygoshI'mthousandsofmilesintheskywithabunchofsuperheros.

Super-powered teens were everywhere. Technopaths were disassembling and reassembling their cell phones on the front steps. A water manipulator caused the fountain jets to dance in the air, and an ice manipulator froze it over. Four girls appeared out of thin air, and a cheer leading squad of identical twins chanted a welcoming-cheer at us over and over again.

"Welcome freshmen, don't be shy. Welcome students to Sky High! Juniors, seniors, all the rest, we're back at school. Sky is the best!"

"Alright freshies!" a loud voice boomed at us. "Group up!"

What felt like a blue and yellow comet circled around us, herding us into a tight-knit clump of sweaty, terrified adolescents.

The comet came to a stop, and I saw that it was really just a heavy-set upperclassman in yellow shorts and blue t-shirt. Another upperclassman in stripes slinky-d over to us and smirked.

"Welcome to Sky High," he drawled. "My name is Lash, and that was Speed. We're the Freshman Orientation team-"

"What did I tell you about messing with the freshmen?" an annoyed voice demanded.

We turned to see Will Stronghold, Layla, and Zach standing next to the bus. Ron Wilson, bus driver, and three other teenagers were behind them.

Lash rolled his eyes and turned to face him, striped arms crossed. "Not messing with them, Stronghold," he sneered. "As 'retribution' for our actions during Homecoming last year, Speed and I are being forced to take care of these losers by Principal Powers. Not to mention that we've had to start over in the same grade as you freaks."

"It sucks," Speed added.

"Are you kidding me?" a small kid in all orange demanded. "She _trusts _you with this?"

Speed shrugged. "For some reason," he replied. "Now get out of our way, sidekicks, we've got better things to do than talk to you guys."

Will eyed Speed and Lash warily. "Alright then. Go ahead," he muttered.

Lash snorted and sprung over to the front of the school. I blinked, and Speed had appeared beside him. "Come on freshies," Lash yelled. "Keep up!"

They sniggered as we followed them into the halls.

* * *

Sky High was full of futuristic windows that gave us a great view of the one thousand mile drop that awaited us if we fell out of one. The floors were orange linoleum, lined with white, and the lockers were steel gray to match the door frames.

"Orientation is in the gym," Lash told us. "Pick up your name tags right... here."

We came to a stop next to a table beside two double doors. The table was stacked with paper pins.

"Name tags?" I snorted. "What is this- third grade?"

A striped arm appeared out of no where, my name tag in its hand, and slapped it onto my chest. The pin dug into my skin.

"Ouch!" I yelped, jumping back.

Lash retracted his arm. "Anyone else have any complaints?" he asked, whipping a quick smirk in my direction. No one said anything. "No?" He shrugged. "Good. Head on in for power placement. Catch you losers on the flip side."

Speed waved a hand at us before dashing off. Lash smirked at me one last time and sprung away.

"I really don't think I like them," I commented.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Who _does_?" he asked pointedly.

I shrugged as we walked into the gym, which was about a mile long and full of state-of-the-art equipment, most of which looked extremely dangerous and possibly life threatening.

There was a sound like a jet engine whirring to life, and a pulsing ball of shining white light soared over our heads and came to a stop on top of a raised portion of the shining wooden floor. The ball of light solidified, taking on the shape of a woman in a white pantsuit with golden brown hair and red lipstick.

"Good morning," she greeted us, like nothing had happened. "I am Principal Powers. On behalf of the staff and student body, I would like to be the first to formally welcome you to Sky High. In just a few moments, Coach Boomer will take you through Power Placement, and your own heroic journey will begin."

I felt something like a lead weight drop into my stomach.

"For now, good deeds and good luck," Principal Powers continued. "Let the adventure begin."

I turned away this time as she shifted into the ball of light and soared back out of the room. When I opened my eyes, she was gone, and a tall man in a baseball hat and shorts with a whistle around his neck and a clipboard in his hands had taken her place.

"Alright, listen up," he barked. "As Principal Powers has already told you, my name is Coach Boomer. You may know me as Sonic Boom. Here's how Power Placement is gonna work." He moved a few steps closer to us, not removing his sunglasses. "You will step up here and show me your power," he told us. "And yes, you will do so in front of the entire class."

Robin shifted nervously next to me. I sympathized with him- big time.

"I will then determined where you will be assigned. Hero." He looked at my brother. "Or sidekick." I felt his gaze rest on me. Did everyone just assume that's how things were gonna turn out?

"Now," he snapped, motoring forward. "Every year there are a few students- or as I like to call them, whiner babies- who see fit to question, and to complain about their placement. So let's get one thing straight."

Coach Boomer whipped off his sunglasses and glared at each and every single one of us in turn. "My word is law." He raised his voice to super-human levels. "My judgement is final."

What felt like a tidal wave of sound rushed over us, nearly knocking me off of my feet.

"Are we clear?" Boomer shouted.

"Yes Coach Boomer!" we yelled back at him.

He grinned in satisfaction, replaced his sunglasses, and blew his whistle shrilly. "First up," he called, looking down at his clipboard, "Jamal Beck!"

A short, dark boy with broad shoulders and shaved hair stepped up onto the stage. Coach Boomer sized him up.

"Power?" he asked dubiously.

Jamal grinned, showing off pearly white teeth. "Got any water?" he asked.

Someone from the crowd tossed him a plastic bottle of it. He smiled bigger and placed it on the floor in front of him. Boomer groaned.

"Kid," he asked, "what're you-?"

With a roar like a tidal wave, the bottle burst into a million shards of plastic and the water sprung out of it, dousing Boomer in a hurricane of wet.

"Hero," Boomer muttered, spitting out a mouthful of water and making a note on his clipboard. Jamal grinned and stepped down. "Vienna Beck."

Vienna was taller than her brother, with darker hair than his and no smile. "I talk to fish," she stated lamely. "Can I go down now?"

Boomer raised an eyebrow at her. "Sidekick then," he said. "Next! Clarisse Bedford!"

A tall girl, thin as a rail, with mousy brown hair got up on the platform. There was a slight pop, and an oak tree had taken her place.

"Good gosh- sidekick!" he shouted.

Clarisse turned back to herself, pouting, and stepped off the stage.

"Greg Burrell!"

"Your real name is Francis," Greg, a slightly pudgy boy with straight brown hair told Boomer when he stepped onstage. "You had waffles for breakfast this morning, and right now you're thinking that you want to kill me." Greg grinned and crossed his arms. "I'm a mind-reader," he told us.

Boomer scowled at him. "Hero. Now get off the stage!" he growled. "Skylar Carson!"

Skylar, a grumpy blond girl with the perfect body, summoned a thunderstorm that soaked all of us to the bone, complete with thunder and lightning, and was immediately announced a hero.

"Aidan Channing!"

Aidan was the most attractive man I had ever seen in my life. He stepped on to the platform, and my only thought was: Gorgeous man is gorgeous. Aidan's hair was messy and dark brown. His eyes were shining hazel and he had the sweetest smile ever.

With a clap of his hands, the lights went off. Electricity surged out from him in glowing blue, white, and purple lines, and he restored the power with a bang like a cannon blast. When the lights came back on, we saw Boomer, face streaked with ash, hair standing on end.

"Hero," he squeaked, making a check on the clip board. "Next! Cory Crowel."

"I'm indestructible," Cory announced proudly when he reached the platform.

"Let's test that theory, shall we? Car!" Boomer called.

Several of us screamed- myself included- when a car dropped from the ceiling and landed directly on top of Cory. It fell apart on impact, leaving him standing there, with barely a rip on his orange t-shirt.

"Hero! Jake Delaney, you're up!"

Jake waltzed onto the platform, smiling charmingly, dressed in all-white with red hair, gelled to perfection. "Car," he called smugly.

Once again, a vehicle dropped from the ceiling. Jake waved his hand and a glowing barrier wrapped around it and carried it to the opposite side of the gym.

Boomer nodded his approval. "Hero!" he announced. "Ivy DiLuca, you're up."

Ivy blushed bright red when she saw all of us staring at her and brushed a hand through her long black hair. "Uh," she squeaked, not meeting Boomer's seering gaze, "I'm a lie detector."

"Sidekick," Boomer replied automatically. "Eponine Hughes!"

Eponine waltzed onto the stage, dressed in all pink with matching hair. "Hey," she said in a soft voice. With a wave of her hand, she reduced us all to tears, and then had us in hysterics a few seconds later.

"Hero," Boomer announced, wiping at his eyes. "Josselyn Hutchins, next!"

"Sidekick," he announced, after Josselyn had spent nearly an hour reciting the entire Declaration of Independence for us, thanks to her super-memory. "Sakura Kim."

A tall Asian girl with red and yellow streaked hair walked, literally, through the stage, and came to a stop half in front of Boomer's torso, half behind Boomer's torso. Her middle was phasing through his body. Boomer shuddered and sent her offstage.

"Hero! Bernard Littleton!"

A lanky skater dude with messy red hair and a beanie stepped onto the stage and smiled at us. He took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, and grew so big that he had to crouch to avoid smashing through the ceiling.

"Hero," Boomer announced, craning his head up to see Bernard's face. "Elliot Locke!"

Elliot, it turned out, could eat literally anything, and was assigned to the sidekick route after swallowing Boomer's whistle.

"Alfred Marone, you're up!"

Alfred really was up, and walked to the podium with his feet yards above the floor. He then proceeded to turn the room upside down, all without taking his eyes away from the book he was reading.

"Hero," Boomer announced once the room was right-side-up again. "Camilla Quick!"

I took a deep breath and pulled away from Robin, walking up the steps to the platform hesitantly.

"Well come on, we haven't got all day," Boomer snapped at me once I had come to stand next to him. "Power?"

With a quick, guilty glance at Robin, I responded, "Cat-like reflexes."

Boomer raised an eyebrow at me and flipped through the papers on his clipboard. "You Nightshatter and Sharpshooter's daughter?" he asked.

I nodded in response, totally unprepared for him to call, "Car!"

Shrieking, I flipped out of the way just in time, only for Boomer to yell "Platform!" and for me to go flying off of the stage and soaring high up in the air.

My mind was whirring at a million miles a second. Wind rushed past my face as my hands searched uselessly for something to grab hold of, only for them to clamp down on an orange banner hanging over the doors to the gym. The fabric started to tear beneath my weight and I held on for dear life as it came crashing down. I bounced a bit when I landed, and splayed my legs to balance myself out.

I didn't look up to see Robin's reaction, knowing that my powers were a sore spot for him. The rest of the freshmen were staring at me with appraising looks.

Boomer sounded thoroughly unimpressed when he said...

"Hero."


	3. Chapter 3

**Sky High: Teens In Tights**  
**Chapter 3: Hutch Signs My Death Warrant**

You'd think that in a school full of superheroes, at least one of us would have the power to cook incredible food. But nope, it was just regular old cafeteria food. On the bright side, at least they had french fries, and hamburgers. But I was more concerned about the french fries.

"Hey! Cam," Zach called when he saw me, standing up from his table and clapping me on the back. "How'd power placement go?"

"Uh.." I raised an eyebrow. What had I said or done on the bus this morning to make him think that this was okay? "It went great," I found myself saying, nodding awkwardly. "Yeah. Really good."

Zach smiled sympathetically. "You got sidekick, didn't you?" he asked, resting his hands behind his head. "Don't worry kid, it's actually pretty great."

I quirked my lips and stared down at my lunch tray. "I'm a hero, actually," I told him.

Will choked on his water bottle. Layla glared at him and pounded him on the back, hard.

"Yeah," I said awkwardly. "So... Bye."

That wasn't insulting in the slightest, I thought, barreling over to my brother, who was seated at a table, surrounded by the other freshmen who had just been sorted into the hero track.

"Hi," an Asian girl said in a friendly voice, waving at me. "It's Maggie, right?"

"Mellie," I corrected, setting my tray down. "And you are...?"

"Sakura. Sakura Kim," she told me.

"Right," I said with a nod.

"So you're the reflexes girl," Jake commented.

Bernard nodded and let out a chuckle. "Yeah, are you gonna be one of those cat super heroes?"

"'Cause that would be _totally _hot," Jake added. The two boys high-fived, snorting.

I rolled my eyes, taking a big, unladylike bite of my burger. "I am _not _hot," I told them once I had swallowed. "And even if I was, you wouldn't catch me dead in a catsuit."

"I beg to differ," Jake commented, eying my waist appreciatively. He winked and said, "Call me if you ever decide to wear one, baby. I'd be happy to give you some feedback."

Bernard elbowed his arm and pointed a few spaces away from us. Skylar was seated there, picking at the salad on her plate.

"You know who I'd like to see in a cat-suit?" Bernard said. "Weather-girl."

Jake whistled his agreement.

"Boys," Sakura scoffed, getting up and moving to sit next to Skylar. I slid my tray over and followed her.

"Hey," she greeted. "I'm Sakura and this is Mellie. It's Skylar, right?"

I raised an eyebrow. "That's kinda cool. 'Cause of _Sky_ High and everything," I joked.

Skylar lifted a dainty hand up to stop me. "Don't," she said curtly.

"Okay then," I muttered, looking back down at my tray.

"Hey," a boy's voice said. "Nice to meet the other heroes."

I looked up and nearly swooned. It was Aidan.

_Attractive man is attractive. Attractive man is attractive. Attractive man is attractive._

"H-hi," Sakura squeaked in a high, reedy voice. She cleared her throat and said, a little louder, "It's uh... It's Aaron, right?"

"Aidan," he corrected with a drool-inducing smile, taking the seat next to mine.

Sakura smacked her forehead with a hand. "I am so bad with names," she moaned.

I giggled and held out a hand for him to shake. _Holy Toledo, Batman_ that was a strong grip!

"I'm Mellie," I told him, then motioned to Robin a few spaces down the table, who was talking with Cory and Jamal. "That's my brother, Robin."

Aidan grinned and waved "hi" to him. Robin raised an eyebrow at me, then turned to Aidan and waved back. Huh. So Aidan was sweet. Aw.

A whistle blew in my ear with a shrill tweet. I jumped about a foot in the air and glared at Boomer, the culprit. He just stared at me blankly and turned to the other freshmen.

"Alright, whiner babies," he called, stowing away his new, bright orange whistle. "It's time for round two of power placement. Get your lazy butts to the gym in five minutes flat!" Mr. short-shorts walked away then, tightly-clad buttocks swinging with every step. I shuddered, got up, and dumped my tray, Sakura and Aidan on either side of me.

"Mellie," Sakura said suddenly, "are you bleeding?"

I frowned, pulled up the sleeve of my shirt, and looked at my arm. I _was _bleeding. There was a long scratch that circled around my forearm. I couldn't really remember how I had gotten it; it was only now that I felt pain.

"Yeah, I guess, so," I answered, still slightly confused.

"You should head to the nurse and get that patched up," Aidan told me, clapping my shoulder and shoving me out of the cafeteria. "Go on. We'll tell Coach Boomer where you are."

I nodded my agreement and we parted ways, my sneakers squeaking against the linoleum as I walked. Then I realized that, thanks to Lash and Speed's useless orientation, I had no idea where the nurse's office was. Deciding to ask someone for directions, I stopped the orange-clad cheerleader who had been welcoming us out on the lawn.

"Hi," I said. "Could you point me toward the nurse's?"

"And you are?" she asked me with a disdainful sneer.

"Mellie Quick," I told her. "Hero... I've kinda got cat-like reflexes."

She grinned at that and extended a hand for me to shake. "In that case, welcome to Sky High, Mellie. I'm Penny. Cheer leading tryouts are on Wednesday. I expect to see you there- oh, and Nurse Spex is at the end of the hall, last door on the left."

"Thanks," I said with a grin, heading in the direction she had pointed out to me.

Just like Penny had told me, the last door on the left side of the hallway had a nameplate that read: "Nurse's office". It swished open and I entered, looking around the all white room.

"Hello?" I called.

An older boy with messy brown hair and a white lab coat glanced up from the book he was reading and grinned at me. "Hi," he said, marking his page with a piece of paper and standing. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Nurse Spex," I said warily.

The boy grinned and said, "Sorry kid, but you're out of luck. Spex is on her lunch break. Fortunately for you, I'm here." He pointed to his name tag. "Hutch Feinberg, healer, and student nurse. What can I do for you?"

"Err." I pointed at my bleeding arm.

Hutch nodded and sat me down on a cot. "And you are...?" he asked, staring at my wound with narrowed eyes.

"Mellie Quick," I said.

A look of recognition flashed across Hutch's face for a second, but he kept quiet and didn't say anything, poking and prodding at my arm. Wouldn't it be easier to just give me a Band-Aid and send me on my way? The silence was starting to get to me.

"So," I said. "A healer? How does that work, exactly?"

Hutch frowned and stood back up, mixing some sort of medicine on the clinic counters. "I'm not exactly your _average_ healer, per say," he admitted, his back to me. "My power... I kind of can control people's bodies."

"Control people's bodies?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Yep," Hutch answered, voice growing darker as he talked. "I can control the rush of blood through your veins, the thoughts that spark up in that brain of yours, every ligament, tendon, hair follicle and pore in your skin. If I concentrated hard enough, I could stop your heart instantaneously."

My mouth went dry. I shivered slightly, and Hutch turned around to grin wolfishly at me, holding a glass bottle of brightly glowing, light blue liquid.

"Bottoms up," he told me, his voice back to normal.

I accepted the bottle uneasily and uncorked it. After that little display of insanity, it probably wasn't the best idea to drink it.

"For the pain," Hutch explained.

"It doesn't really hurt that bad," I said, wrinkling my nose. "Honestly."

"But you should really-" Hutch started to protest.

The doors swished open and Lash entered, sporting a black and purple eye.

"Hey Nurse Spex," he drawled, not realizing Hutch and I were staring at him. "Will Stronghold caught me roughing up some of the freshmen and-" He paused and glared at us. "What are _you _doing here?"

The thing was, he was looking at Hutch, not at me.

The two boys glared daggers at each other, neither one of them acknowledging my existence, and Hutch said, "I work here, idiot."

Lash scoffed and crossed his striped arms over his chest. "Oh yeah, I forgot, you heal stuff. Still a pretty lame power, if you ask me."

Hutch growled under his breath. "Wanna test that?" he challenged, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "I'm sure you'll be saying the same thing when I make those arms of yours fall off."

"Anytime," Lash shot back. "You, me, one teammate each, Save the Citizen this Friday."

"See you there, slingy," Hutch replied, holding out a hand for Lash to shake.

Lash smirked and took it in a death grip. "Right back at cha', Hannibal."

They squeezed each other's hands so hard, I thought they'd shatter. Finally, Hutch dropped Lash's hand and the stretchy hero slammed out the door without a backward glance.

I bit my lip awkwardly and made to sneak out after him, but Hutch stopped me at the last second.

"You're a hero, right?" he asked suddenly. I nodded, not sure where he was going with this. "Then congratulations," he continued. "You're my partner for Save the Citizen."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I protested, dropping the glass bottle and causing it to break. "I don't-"

"Great!" Hutch said happily, like he hadn't heard me. "I'll find you later to plan practice times. You'd better go so you don't miss the rest of Power Placement. Bye!"

He shoved me out the door and I just stood there for a few minutes, wondering how exactly I had gotten myself into this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sky High: Teens In Tights**  
**Chapter 4: Jamal and I Invade the Boy's Locker Room  
A/N: Thank you so much for all of your incredible reviews- they really help with the writing process, so keep them coming!  
**

By the time I shook off my lapse in sanity and made my way to the gym, Boomer had gotten through the Q's, R's, and one of the S's. The second I walked into the room, I knew who was missing from the crowd.

Where was my little brother?

I asked Aidan and Sakura when I took a place next to them, and they exchanged a knowing look before Sakura answered.

"He ran out when Boomer sorted him. I think I heard Cory say something about him locking himself in the boy's bathroom," she told me.

"Where did he get placed?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Aidan shrugged, keeping his eyes fixed to the front of the room. The guy who was being sorted, Desmond Sorel, was teleporting himself all over the place.

"Sidekick," Aidan whispered. "He didn't show any signs of powers."

I groaned- Boomer glared at me from behind the sunglasses- and felt myself pale. "I gotta go find him," I said desperately, before jogging back out of the gym. I was abnormally glad that I had chosen to wear sneakers that day.

The bathrooms, as it turned out, were connected to the locker rooms, and I stood stock still when I saw the dark blue sign with the male stick figure on it.

"It's easy, Mel," I told myself, shifting my weight from foot to foot. "It's just a sign, and Robin needs you. Just go in. Go in. Go in. Go in-"

"Watcha' doin'?" a deep, suspicious voice rumbled from behind me.

I flew around with a gasp and then relaxed when I saw Jamal Beck's frowning face. Then I flushed bright red when I realized what this must have looked like to him. And on the first day of school too. Bummer.

"I-I- Robin- my brother- is in there, and I-" I muttered, staring down at my feet.

Jamal laughed suddenly, shocking me. "Hey, don't sweat it," he said, hooking his fingers through his belt loops. "Want me to go in there and check to make sure there's no one else?"

I nodded and grinned. "Thanks," I said, because, one, I was grateful, and, two, Jamal seemed like a pretty cool dude.

He nodded and pushed the door open, disappearing inside. "All clear," he called out to me, and I walked in after.

The first thing I noticed was the smell: Boy and man all at the same time. Man-boy. Disgusting. It was only the first day of school, so the place was relatively spotless. The bright blue lockers gleamed and the grey tile floor _looked _clean. Jamal was standing by a row of blue stalls in the back of the room near the showers. I blushed when I saw the urinals.

"Hey, c'mon man," he was saying into one of the stalls. "It's not that bad. And your sister's here to talk to you."

"Yeah? Well I don't wanna talk to her," I heard Robin's voice snap as I approached.

I flinched, then scowled and said, "Too bad. I did _not _break into the boy's locker room to just turn around and head back out. So get your cowardly butt out of there and talk to me."

Robin grumbled but obeyed, and the door swung open to reveal his scowling face. "What do you want?" he demanded.

My face softened and I stared at him apologetically. "You doin' okay?" I asked in a gentle voice.

He scoffed and leaned up against the stall. "Fine," he said sarcastically. "Just peachy. Will you leave now?"

I glared at him and snapped, "No. And what's with you? I get that you're a sidekick, and, really, that does kinda suck, but what's up with the attitude? I seriously don't appreciate it."

"You're right," Robin answered, "being a sidekick does suck. Especially since _I _was supposed to be the hero. Not you! But no- no you just _had _to get powers! And really cool ones too! You couldn't just have a tail or ears or something. Nope! You're a frikkin' ninja! And what am I? Useless," he muttered.

I was stunned for a minute. "Are you kidding me?" I finally said. "Are- are you kidding me? You're _complaining _that I'm a _hero_? Are you _kidding _me?"

Jamal edged toward the door. "I'm just gonna go now," he told us. We completely ignored him as he left.

"Yeah. I am complaining!" Robin yelled, facing turning dark red.

"Oh really? Well, you know what? Go ahead. Be that way! At least now you know what I used to feel like," I replied. "How do you think it felt when Mom and Dad told me, 'don't worry, Mellie, you can always be Robin's side kick'? I hated it! Why did everyone always assume that, anyways?"

Instead of giving Robin anytime to respond- because I honestly didn't care what he had to say- I stomped out of the locker room, letting the door slam shut behind me, absolutely fuming.

I didn't get it. I really didn't.

Why _had _everyone decided that Robin was the strong one? The better one? Because he _wasn't. _Power Placement today had proved that, right? Right? Did I just look like a sidekick to people?

Yeah, I wasn't as smart as Robin, and probably never would be. Yeah, I was a girl and Dad paid him more attention than me. And yeah, maybe I had a temper and I was childish and boy crazy and too snarky for my own good and Robin had always been more popular than me, but that didn't mean anything, right?

Apparently, to other people, it did.

But things were different now, I reminded myself. The tables had turned. Now Robin was on the receiving end of things. Now Robin would know how it felt to be underestimated and under appreciated.

And it was going to be awesome; I would make sure of it if it killed me.

Which, as I would find out soon, it probably would.

* * *

The second the school bus pulled to a stop, Robin and I had stormed off of it and into our house. Robin tramped up the stairs without so much as a backward glance at me. I glared at his back as he went, and let the front door slam shut behind me. Mumbling curses under my breath, I wandered into the kitchen, dropped my navy book bag with a thunk, and started to look for something healthy to eat.

The hamburger and fries at lunch today had been a splurge. I needed something green and leafy, pronto. And a run around the block, or a punching bag.

Mom and Dad wouldn't be home from work for about two and a half hours, so until then, it was just me and Robin.

Joy.

Needless to say, I was eager to get out of the house.

A quick comb through our nearly-empty fridge confirmed my suspicions that Mom hadn't replaced our groceries from this morning. Grumbling under my breath, I grabbed an orange and peeled it with furious, harsher than necessary strokes. I scowled as I bit down on it, washed my hands, and pounded up the stairs.

I stopped as I passed Robin's room and pressed my ear up against the door. Judging by the whirring sounds and the panting, he was on the treadmill. I sighed and walked into my own messy bedroom.

Moving quickly, I dumped my pretty much empty book bag, pulled my hair into a braid, threw on a headband, and changed into a black tank top and blue sweatpants. Not even bothering to grab my MP3 player- it didn't work anyways- I jogged back downstairs and slammed out the door.

The sky had grown overcast and cloudy while I had been at school. I was glad. It suited my less-than-pleased mood.

The soles of my sneakers squeaked against the pavement as I ran. My socks rubbed against my ankles uncomfortably, and I could feel one begin to slip down around my heel, but I ignored that and kept on, letting myself sweat out my frustrations. Yeah, I was gonna be sore as crap in the morning, but that's what I get for not excersizing over the summer. My legs were starting to burn with exertion and I could feel my head spin. I relished in it, pushing even harder.

I didn't know how long I had been running for, but by the time I felt finished with my wallowing, I was standing in the middle of historic downtown, next to the severely Indie _Jamba Juice_; a smoothie/coffee shop that hosted a lot of really cool bands I probably didn't know the names of. A girl was standing there, looking at one of the posters for upcoming acts, and I watched her as I tried to catch my breath. I'd turn around and head home for a shower in a few minutes.

The girl had strawberry blond hair, and wore a light purple sweater with polka dot shorts. A camera was on a strap around her neck. She looked vaguely familiar, and I found myself trying to place her.

"Hey," I called, when it didn't look like I was getting anywhere. "Don't I go to school with you?"

She glanced up and checked behind her, as if she thought I was talking to someone else, before saying, in a low voice, "That would depend on where you go to school."

I checked the street. We were the only ones there, so I thought it would be safe to talk in a normal voice. "Sky High," I said.

Her eyes widened in recognition and she nodded quickly. "Then yes," she said. "I'm Violet Todd, a freshman. I just started there today."

"Mellie Quick, also a freshman," I said, holding out a hand for her to take.

Violet grinned shyly and shook my hand with a weak grip. "Nice to meet you. Your Power Placement was really cool," she told me in a small voice.

I bit my lip, trying to think if I had seen hers. I hadn't, probably because I was too busy yelling at Robin, so I said, "I wish I could say the same, but I don't think I was there for yours. How'd it go?"

"I got Hero," Violet said, blushing. "I manipulate sound waves," she explained.

"Cool," I said. I looked at the poster she had been staring at, for lack of anything better to do. "'We the Kings'," I said slowly. I looked over at her. "You like them?"

Violet nodded, still blushing, and stared down at her feet. I pushed up onto my toes and back down on my heels awkwardly.

"Okay then," I said, turning back the way I had come. "I'm just gonna head home... See you tomorrow?" I didn't wait for her to reply and started running again, the storm clouds looming threateningly over head. I didn't want to be caught in the rain.

Little did I know that Violet and I hadn't been as alone as we thought.

* * *

I didn't beat the rain home.

I didn't beat my parents home either. My mom called my name as I came through the front door, absolutely soaked, and groaned when she stepped into the entrance hall.

"Head upstairs and shower for dinner," she told me. "Then you and Robin can tell your father and I all about your first day."

I nodded lamely and trudged up the stairs, not looking forward to that particular conversation. Or, more precisely, their looks of shock when Robin told them about Power Placement.

* * *

As it always seems to do when I'm not looking forward to something, time flew, and before I knew it, the entire Quick family was seated around our kitchen table, Mom and Dad with raised eyebrows, me with damp hair, and Robin with a surly pout.

"So how did it go?" Mom asked us, like she didn't notice that anything was out of the ordinary. Which, I knew, she did.

I didn't say anything, concerning myself instead with slurping on a spoon full of tomato soup, trying not to look at Robin.

I heard him take a deep breath before saying, "It went...unexpected, to say the least."

"Unexpected?" Dad repeated, setting down his water glass. "Unexpected how, exactly?"

"Mellie's a hero and I'm a sidekick, exactly," Robin explained in a dry voice.

There was silence for a long time after that. I let my spoon drop and started shredding my paper napkin.

"Oh," Mom said. "Oh, that uh- that is pretty unexpected."

Robin banged his glass on the table, shoved his chair back and stomped upstairs. Dad was staring at me, stunned. He had that shocked- insultingly shocked- look on his face that I had been dreading. I bit my lip and glanced down at the strips of paper dotting the table.

"I'm heading upstairs," I said in a dark voice. "Night. See you in the morning."

I followed Robin up the stairs and flopped down onto my bed. I screamed into my pillow for a long time, not caring that it was damaging my vocal chords, and fell asleep like that. The blond-haired boy starred in my dreams once again that night. I didn't remember what he had said when I woke up, only that he called me Cammie.

"Cammie," I thought I heard his voice whisper when my eyes flashed open.

I lay in bed for a while, panting, and glanced at the clock.

2:07 AM, it read.

With a sigh, I stripped off my sweat pants, shut off the light, and slipped under the covers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sky High: Teens In Tights**  
**Chapter 5: Violet and Lash Play Tag  
**

"Mellie!" Sakura called when I stepped off the school bus that morning.

I grinned and waved at her, leaving a still-scowling Robin behind in favor of her and Aidan, who looked totally hot in a royal blue t-shirt and black jeans.

"Hi guys," I said, with a goofy smile at Aidan. "I love your outfit today, Sakura."

She struck a dramatic pose. I admired her printed mini skirt, black tank top, and pink blazer with the expected "ooh"s and "aah"s.

"Thanks," Sakura said. "You're looking pretty hot yourself."

"Yeah," Aidan agreed. I flushed bright red.

My outfit that day was a gun metal grey button up dress with a Peter- Pan collar. It was printed with white deer.

"What about me?" Aidan whined, flexing for us.

If it was possible, I blushed harder. "Y-yeah. You too, Aidan," I squeaked.

Sakura made an appreciative humming sound, not-so-subtly checking out his abs.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a purple-clad figure step off of a school bus. I turned and waved at Violet, who glanced up at me, nodded, and then turned back to fiddling with the camera in her hands.

"Oh yeah, isn't that Violet Todd?" Aidan asked, looking in the same direction I was.

I nodded and said, "Yeah. I ran into her while I was out for a run yesterday... She's kinda weird."

Sakura shrugged and led the way inside. The rain from last night had stopped, but the sky was still covered in clouds. Lovely.

"Weird how?" she asked, as we followed the surge of students into the gym, where our class schedules and locker assignments would be picked up. I was praying that I had gotten the theater class I wanted.

"Weird as in doesn't talk and stares at her feet all the time weird," I explained.

"Ah," Aidan said, and that about summed it up.

We entered the gym- after checking to make sure Boomer was no where in sight- and approached the long line of tables, each one marked with a different letter.

Since both Aidan and Sakura had last names that started with C, they headed to a table manned by a teacher with a huge head and a creepy smile, and I made my way over to the one marked Q, hoping that Robin had already picked his schedule up so I wouldn't have to see him.

The teacher sitting at the table just so happened to be Miss Luz, the theater director. She smiled when I told her my name, and we spent a few minutes talking about the shows that year. As it turned out, she had liked my audition for the theater class and made sure I would be in it, which was awesome, because I really liked acting, singing, and dancing.

I walked away from the table, grinning, and found that Aidan and Sakura were waiting for me by the doors to the gym. It seemed that I had found two new friends, and I was happy about that.

"Great, now we can compare schedules," Sakura said when she saw me. "Aidan and I only have lunch, gym, homeroom, free period, and History of Heroes together."

I raised an eyebrow at that- _only _had _five _classes together?- but handed her my schedule anyways. Aidan gave me a knowing grin, and I nearly swooned. That boy was too attractive for his own good.

"Ha ha!" Sakura said suddenly, pumping a fist in the air and doing a little dance. "Yes!"

"What?" I asked, leaning over her shoulder to see what the big deal was.

Sakura pointed each class out with a chewed-off finger nail as she said its name. "Homeroom, lunch, gym, free period, Power Advancement, Math, and Anatomy of Super Heroes."

"Sweet," I said, grinning, because it was.

Aidan's hand reached over and grabbed my schedule out of Sakura's. "My turn," he said with a toothy smile, before comparing mine to his own.

Sakura and I exchanged a wide-eyed look.

Aidan chuckled under his breath and handed back my schedule. "Looks like you're stuck with me," he said with a satisfied smirk.

I raised my eyebrows. "Meaning...?"

He turned and started walking down the crowded hall, hands behind his head in a relaxed position. "Meaning," he said, as Sakura and I followed him, "that the three of us have homeroom, lunch, free period, and gym together. But, my dear little Mellie, you and I have Defensive Maneuvers, Mad Science, Weaponized Fighting, Identity Concealment, and Personal Safety together."

I felt myself grinning like an idiot but didn't make any move to stop it. Dang. I get to stare at Aidan's perfection for practically the whole day. Yes!

"So," Sakura said. She kept sending knowing looks at me and Aidan, like there was something going on between us. Which there _wasn't_. I had just met the guy yesterday! "Where to first?"

"Homeroom," Aidan answered, staring down at his schedule. "Some guy named Mr. Mallory."

* * *

Mr. Mallory, as it turns out, was one of those teachers that the upperclassmen always tell you that you need to have because he's totally awesome. And he was. The guy was from Miami, with a thick Latino accent and an awesome sense of humor. He did nothing but tell jokes for all twenty minutes of Homeroom, and I could tell that Sakura and Aidan didn't want to leave to go to their next class. Lucky for me, I had History of Heroes- the class he taught- next, and didn't have to get up.

Alfred Marone was in the class with me, as well as about twelve sophomores and kids who were older than us. I remembered that Alfred was the guy who could manipulate gravity, but when I talked to him he didn't even look up from the book he was reading. It must have been pretty good. Luckily, I didn't think I'd need a friend in that class. Mr. Mallory's jokes made it interesting enough, and the period flew by.

Next was Math, with a lady named Ms. Hypnos- who I immediately knew I would hate- and Sakura. The class was dead boring, and Violet was in there with us. She didn't talk to us at all, and Sakura and I both slept through the period.

It was while walking to my next class that something interesting and superhero-worthy happened.

Violet was walking along normally, head down, listening to her music, me behind her, when she stopped suddenly and gasped. I nearly slammed into her back and righted myself, staring around for what could have shocked her.

What I saw wasn't what I was expecting.

Lash and Speed were standing there, Lash pressing Elliot Locke up against a locker. Lash was staring at Violet, and she let out a little shriek before dropping her book bag, turning around, and running as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

"Hey. Violet! Wait!" Lash called. He let go of Elliot and sprung off after Violet.

I raised my brow in confusion but kept walking. Violet was a hero after all, I was sure that she could handle herself.

* * *

As it turned out, she couldn't, because when Aidan entered the class room and took a seat next to me, the first thing he said was, "You were right. That Violet girl is pretty weird."

"What happened?" I asked, looking up from the notebook I had been doodling all over.

"I just saved her from Lash," he said, unpacking his own notebook. "He had her cornered next to the fountain when I walked past. Lash left, and then she ran off without saying anything. It was kinda strange."

"Just a bit," I replied with an eyebrow raise.

That class was a bit of a blur for me. The only thing I could really remember was that the teacher's name was Mr. Cade, and we would be talking about how to stay safe on the job. I was a bit too preoccupied with the fact that I was in close proximity to Aidan- a.k.a. the most perfect human being on the planet.

Aidan and I had Identity Concealment with each other too, although that time was a bit better, because the teacher, Ms. Janus, had a seating chart. Aidan was right behind me though, so it wasn't all that better because I kept stressing about whether or not I looked pretty from behind.

* * *

Thank the Lord God Almighty.

Lunch was next.

And, just like the day before, it sucked. The food, I mean. The company was pretty good.

Zach stopped me as I walked by again, and took the liberty of introducing me to his friends while I just stood there awkwardly.

"Hi, it's nice meeting you guys. Bye," I said once he was done, then walked away because Warren Peace and Magenta had been glaring at me.

I sat with Sakura and Aidan, who had brought Jamal along with him. Apparently the two boys had made friends during Math together, and were both trying out for the football team that Wednesday, the same day as cheer tryouts. I probably should have known Sky High had a football team, because of the whole cheer leading-squad thing, but it took me by surprise, so I asked them about it.

"It's awesome!" Jamal said enthusiastically, setting down his soda with a clink. "We get to use powers and everything because it's against the other superhero high schools."

It certainly sounded awesome. I mean, who didn't want to watch superheroes kill each other over a rubber ball?

Halfway through lunch, Violet entered the cafeteria and Lash immediately kidnapped her. I was planning on stepping in this time, but Will Stronghold beat me to it.

My next class was Anatomy of Superheroes with Mr. Leach. Sakura and I set off, Jamal following because he had the same period as us, and we sat through a lesson with our creepy, vampire-like teacher who had tanks full of snakes all over the place. I was eager to get out of there to say the least.

Next period was Gym. As it turned out, everyone in the school had the same gym period, although the two tracks were separated. While the sidekicks practiced quick changes, the heroes ran sprints across the football field. Hutch came up to me in between sprints and we made plans for Save the Citizen practice- I pretty much spent the entire time trying to convince him to find a new partner to no avail.

Aidan came up to me once Hutch left. He was covered in sweat and somehow made our ridiculous uniforms look dead sexy. I felt like an idiot compared to him.

"What was that all about?" he asked me, panting with his hands on his knees.

He looked stunned when I told him about Hutch, Lash, and Save the Citizen.

"Uh... That- that's an interesting story," Aidan said, staring at me with concern. "Are you sure you can't back out?"

"Too late," I said with a wince. "Hutch already signed us up for the match. There's nothing I can do but try not to die."

"I'll be cheering for you," Aidan volunteered lamely.

"Group Four, you're up!" Coach Boomer shouted, blowing his whistle unnecessarily.

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a haze for me. With the exception of theater- which was totally awesome, by the way- I had Aidan in every single one of my classes. Before I knew it, school was over and I was heading out with a book bag full of first-day homework and a sore body. Four of my classes had been of the physical training sort.

Violet had the same bus as me, so I was there as witness when a striped arm looped around her waist and carried her over to the side of the school.

Sighing, I jogged after her, ready to save my first damsel in distress.

Holy crap did that sound weird.

What was even weirder was the position I found Lash and Violet in.

Lash had both arms circled around her waist, pinning her arms to her side, and his hands formed a cage on either side of her head. Violet was slumped down against the brick wall, face bright red, eyes slightly misty.

"Hey, do you mind?" I said in what I hoped was a threatening voice, crossing my arms.

"Beat it, Quick," Lash snarled without even looking at me.

"No," I said impetuously.

He sighed and threw me a glance. Violet smiled gratefully at me over his shoulder. "Look," he said. "I'm already going to have to kick that pretty little butt of yours on Friday. Don't make me do it now, too."

"Same goes, big nose," I quipped. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not going anywhere."

Lash groaned and retracted his arms. "Whatever," he mumbled, pulling away from Violet and walking toward the parking lot. Although, why we needed one I wasn't quite sure. "I'll see you around, Vi," he called, his back turned to us.

Violet flushed and crouched down to pick up her purple book bag.

"What was that all about?" I asked suspiciously, watching her. "He's been attacking you all day."

"Nothing. Thanks," she replied, shouldering her bag and walking away.

I watched her go, not sure how I was expected to feel about all this. One thing I knew for certain though: Save the Citizen on Friday was bound to be pretty interesting.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sky High: Teens In Tights**  
**Chapter 6: Football Players Battle Each Other To the Death**

I felt my back crack as I stretched and let out a satisfied moan. Sakura giggled beside me and promptly fell into a heap on the grass. I sighed, straightened back up, and then bent down, legs splayed apart, auburn ponytail brushing the ground of the football field.

"Aidan, man, come on!" I heard Jamal's voice yell.

Aidan hurried onto the field, looking flushed. He was wearing a white practice jersey and carried a helmet in his hands. Only he could make shoulder pads look attractive.

Like, really attractive.

"Okay girls," Penny called, yanking me out of Aidan-land. "Line up!"

I straightened out of my crouch and stood shoulder to shoulder with Sakura. A blond girl in a white tank top and skirt was next to me. Penny walked back and forth, surveying us, two clones of her following.

"So," the real Penny said, crossing her arms over her bare, toned stomach, and looking at us appraisingly. "You think that you've got what it takes to be on the Sky High cheer squad?"

She didn't wait for us to answer and continued, probably because our being there answered her question. "Well, I've got news for you: You don't." Penny smirked, and her clones did the exact same thing.

"Try outs are over!" she announced. "None of you losers are good enough for the squad. Get lost."

And with a flip of her shiny brown hair, she strutted off, butt swinging.

Sakura and I stood in shock for a few minutes, watching her go.

"Not again," the blond girl who was standing next to me sighed. "She does this every year."

I turned to her, eyebrows raised, and said, "Does what? Calls us all out here and then decides not to even try us out?"

The blond girl nodded. "Yeah. She's been the only member of the cheer leading squad for the past three years. I was hoping I could make it this year, since she was supposed to be graduating, but I guess since she's a sophomore, _again_, it's gonna be another three years. And by that time, I'll be a professional hero." She sighed again, smiled, and shook my hand. "I'm Jackie," she said. "I freeze things."

"Mellie Quick," I said with a grin. "Cat-like reflexes. Penny recruited me for the team my first day here, but I guess she changed her mind." I pointed a finger at the still-smiling Asian next to me. "That's Sakura Kim. She phases."

"Hi," Sakura bubbled with a little wave.

Jackie sighed again, watching with a forlorn expression as the other girls packed up their things with disappointed looks on their faces. "Ah well. Maybe next year, right? I gotta go get changed before free period is over. See you guys around!" She stopped to grab her gym bag and jogged away.

I exchanged a shrug with Sakura. "That was weird," I commented, following her over to the metal stadium benches. A couple of other students- mainly girls- were seated there, watching the football try outs. I saw Layla and Magenta a few rows up, cheering on Will, who was on the field.

"Hey, it's Mellie, right?" Layla called when she saw me and Sakura.

"Yeah," I replied, feeling sightly awkward when I saw Magenta's glare. Sakura elbowed me in the stomach and I frowned at her before saying, "Oh, and uh, this is Sakura."

Layla grinned and motioned at the empty bench she and Magenta were sitting on. Sakura bounded up and sat down before I could come up with an excuse to go somewhere else, and frowning slightly, I followed her.

"So, you two are heroes, right?" Layla asked, obviously scrounging for a topic of conversation.

I shrugged, eyes on the field... Or, more precisely, Aidan's very firm butt as he crouched over to tie his cleat laces. "Yeah... It's not quite what I was expecting it to be."

Magenta let out a bark of a laugh, causing me to jump and look over at her.

"It's not what _anyone _expects it to be," she said. "It's better and it's worse... It's high school."

"Well that was deep," I said simply, still staring as the football players proceeded to fight each other, tooth and nail, over a rubber ball.

"Never seen super powered football before?" Layla asked. Her green eyes were fixated on Will's back as he soared over the heads of the other athletes. Aidan shocked him out of the sky with a well-aimed lightning bolt, and I smirked proudly before answering with a, "No".

Layla grinned. "You'll love it," she said with an affirming head nod. "It's super exciting because the players can use their powers... Not that I support violence, fascism, or any of the negative attributes that competitive sports aid in the wide-spread of," she added quickly, and then went on to outline all of them in great detail.

I tuned out a few minutes in, deciding to watch the other students who had chosen to hang out around the football field for their free period. Violet was over by the gym doors, taking a picture of the wild honey suckle that grew there. _How _it managed to grow there in the first place I didn't know, seeing as we were thousands of miles in the air. But, whatever.

"Go Aidan!" Sakura screamed suddenly, drawing my attention back to the tryouts.

I looked back in time to see Aidan sprinting for the end zone, tailed closely by Warren Peace, who was launching fireballs at him. Just as the hem of his pants started to flame, Aidan zapped the ball into the air and it tumbled into Speed's waiting hands. A second later, Speed had made a touch down.

Everyone in the stands- me included- cheered, and I glanced back over to where Violet was once the noise had died down.

Only she wasn't there anymore. Her camera was, but she was missing.

"Be right back," I said, frowning.

"Okay," Layla said in a suspicious voice, but I ignored her as I climbed down from the bleachers and bounded over to the gym doors.

I looked around, trying to spot Violet's strawberry blond head, but I couldn't find her. I frowned down at her camera and leaned over to pick it up. I didn't know her that well, but something told me she wouldn't leave it behind unless it was an emergency.

"Hey, Mellie," Hutch said as he pushed through the gym doors and walked over to me. "What's up? You ready for Save the Citizen on Friday?"

"Uh, yeah," I answered, looking over at him, still distracted. "I guess... Hey, there was a girl here a few seconds ago. About yay big? Blond hair? Really shy?"

Hutch thought for a minute and then shrugged. "Can't say I've seen her before. Sorry, Mellie," he answered. "But hey, I'm sure she'll turn up tomorrow."

I bit my lip uncertainly. "Yeah. You're right. She probably will."

* * *

She didn't.

When Sakura and I walked into Math class the next day, Violet's desk was conspicuously empty. I supposed that might have been a good thing for her, depending on how you looked at it- True, she might have been, you know, dying, or something, but at least she didn't have to sit through Ms. Hypnos's sleep-inducing lesson.

Lash was standing by the door when the bell rang, probably waiting for the missing blond. He scowled at Sakura and I as we walked past him.

"You think we should tell him she's not here?" I asked offhandedly.

Sakura shrugged, attempting to twist the cap off her bottle of soda. "He'll figure it out in a few minutes," she said.

I nodded blankly, frowning. Something just... didn't feel right about this. And I couldn't figure out why. Maybe it was the camera in my backpack that I was waiting to give to Violet. Maybe it was how Lash always seemed to know what was going on with her, but hadn't known she was going to be absent. Maybe it was how Violet had been there one minute and was gone the next.

Maybe I had started to realize that my life was about to get a whole lot more dangerous.

* * *

"Quick. Have you seen Violet?"

I stared up at Lash for a few seconds, blinking. I probably looked like an idiot.

It was the last period of the day, Musical Theater- one of the only classes I had both Lash and Violet in. It was pretty surprising Lash was in the class, and even more surprising when I discovered he could actually sing. And was pretty good at it too. I'd never have taken him for the theater-type.

What was even more surprising was that he was talking to me in the first place.

He'd kind of been ignoring my existence since the second day of school. Occasionally, Speed would come up to me during gym or lunch and start droning on about how he was going to kick my butt during Save the Citizen on Friday. But Lash didn't really do anything. I got the feeling he was just letting his friend vent out all the hot air.

"No," I said. "Not since yesterday. Have you?"

Lash scowled at me and looked back up at the stage. It was the third day of auditions for the winter show; a musical set in the ghettos of New York called _In the Heights_.

"No," he finally said. "I was thinking you had."

I frowned, crumpling the audition material in my hands. I'd really expected Violet to show up to class today. True, she'd completed her auditions the day before (and was probably getting the role. Seriously, the girl could sing), but I still thought she'd come, just to see how every one else was doing.

"Why do you care?" I asked bluntly. "It seems kind of like you hate her, actually."

Lash glared daggers at me and I shrunk back. "That's my business, freshie. Not yours," he growled, before stretching away to the other side of the theater.

I shrugged and sunk back down in my seat.

There was something going on between those two. And I was going to figure it out a lot sooner than I thought I would.


End file.
